Oven Baked Salmon Recipe
Posted Jan 12, 2024, Updated Feb 14, 2024
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This oven baked salmon recipe is an easy healthy main dish ready in 20 minutes! Salmon is brushed with olive oil, seasoned with a delicious homemade rub and baked.
My kids adore salmon – and this oven baked salmon recipe is their favorite (they also love maple salmon)!
Seriously, the 6 of them can devour many pounds of salmon in one sitting, and I absolutely love making it for them because it’s so good for their little growing bodes (plus, I love it too).
In this baked salmon recipe – a delicious homemade spice mixture is rubbed all over the salmon, then it’s baked to just the right temperature to ensure it remains moist. The entire recipe takes 20 minutes from start to finish – making it perfect for busy weeknights.
Oven Baked Salmon: Ingredients & Substitutions
- Wild caught salmon. I always try to buy wild-caught salmon when it’s available. Any variety of salmon will do – but this will yield the best results.
- Spices: I use a blend of spices that compliment the fish very well. Feel free to adjust them as you wish, or substitute dried herbs with fresh.
- Cane sugar. white sugar or brown sugar are good substitutes for canes sugar.
How to Bake Salmon in the Oven
Let’s walk through how to cook salmon in the oven step-by-step, and don’t forget to watch the video.
Begin by making the rub. Plus the rub ingredients together in a high-powered blender or food processor until a coarse powder forms (no more large pieces of rosemary remain), about 5 seconds.
Once the rub is ready, place the salmon on a baking sheet or in a 9×13” baking dish and brush it with olive oil.
Then, sprinkle the rub evenly over the salmon on the top and sides.
At this point, you can cover the salmon with aluminum foil and let sit in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes and up to 4 hours to let the rub really penetrate the fish. Or, you can bake it right away.
I usually prepare the salmon at lunch to cook for dinner!
Next, bake the salmon at 425°F for 10-15 minutes, or until the internal temperature reaches 135 degrees F.
Salmon Thickness/Baking time
The baking time depends heavily on the thickness of your salmon. Bake salmon for 10 minutes per 1 inch of thickness.
Serve
Remove the salmon from the oven and serve warm with your favorite side dishes. Here are some serving suggestions:
- Serve with roasted veggies like: roasted broccoli, roasted carrots, asparagus and Brussels sprouts.
- Green salads make a great side, try these: burrata salad, kale salad, panzanella salad, spinach salad, and broccoli salad.
- Potatoes go great with everything! Try this potato salad, mashed potatoes, mashed sweet potatoes, and crispy roasted potatoes.
- Serve with wild rice!
Store/Freeze
Store leftover baked salmon in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days, or in the freezer for up to 1 month.
Oven Baked Salmon Recipe FAQS
Yes, you can double or triple the recipe.
No – I believe salmon is best when it’s baked at 425°F. It crisps the outside while keeping the center soft and moist.
Absolutely you can use whatever rub you prefer.
If your salmon filets have skin, bake with the skin side down. The salmon is easily moved from the skin after baking.
Brush with olive oil first so the seasoning sticks to the salmon.
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Oven Baked Salmon Recipe
Ingredients
- 1.5 pounds wild caught salmon
- 1 Tablespoon olive oil
Rub
- 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
- ½ teaspoon Black pepper
- 1 teaspoon dried rosemary
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- ½ teaspoon chili powder
- 1 Tablespoon cane sugar
Garnish
- Fresh parsley or rosemary (optional)
Instructions
Make the rub
- Pulse rub ingredients together in a high-powered blender or food processor until a coarse powder forms (no more large pieces of rosemary remain), about 5 seconds.
Prepare the salmon
- Place the salmon on a baking sheet or in a 9×13” baking dish, skin-side down.
- Brush the salmon with olive oil.
- Then, sprinkle the rub evenly over the salmon (top and sides).
- At this point, you can cover the salmon with aluminum foil and let sit in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes and up to 4 hours to let the rub really penetrate the fish. Or, you can bake it right away.
Bake
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
- Bake the salmon in the preheated oven for 10-15 minutes, or until the internal temperature reaches 135 degrees F. (baking time depends heavily on the thickness of your salmon).
Serve
- Remove from the oven and serve warm, garnished with fresh parsley or rosemary if desired.
Video
Notes
- Wild caught salmon. I always try to buy wild-caught salmon when it’s available. Any variety of salmon will do – but this will yield the best results.
- Spices: Feel free to adjust them as you wish, or substitute dried herbs with fresh.
- Cane sugar. white sugar or brown sugar are good substitutes for canes sugar.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
This was seriously the BEST salmon! Even my children who don’t “like” fish went back for seconds lol.
Every recipe we have tried here has been amazing ( started with the best chocolate chip cookies which literally ARE) I am printing off so many that I purchased a binder just for your recipes. Thank you so much and God bless you!
This means the world to me! I’m so glad your family loves this, and so many other, recipes!
Do you bake the salmon covered ?
looks so good can’t wait to try!
Nope!